Basta
by pedxing
Summary: How did Basta become what he is? Why would anyone choose being Capricorn's lap dog to be their life? Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Ok. This is a sample. I need to know if anyone is interested before I continue. This story is about Basta's childhood and how he became the #&! we all know and love. I'll include family and how he met Dustfinger and Capricorn and some love interests like Roxanne. Sound good? Let me know what you think!

Basta

Chapter 1

Basta woke on the day he had always celebrated his birthday. He was never sure if it actually was, his father had never told him if it was. His father ignored him most of the time but this was the day Basta's mom had always given him a little gift so he figured there was a pretty good chance it was. His mom had died when he was 7. That was 3 years ago and he was now turning 10. He crawled slowly out of bed. The light of dawn was just barely beginning to peek out from behind the night. It couldn't have been later than 5. Basta's father would be up in an hour or so… unless he'd been out late drinking or chasing skirts again. Basta slowly cleaned himself and dressed as the light of day grew stronger outside. By 7 he had done his chores and was busy making breakfast for himself when his father stalked into their small kitchen barking for food. Basta brought breakfast to him quickly… he had learned the hard way never to dawdle around his father. Basta had many pale scars running down his back from his father's anger.

"Hurry up!" Basta noticed the slight slur in the words. So his father had been out drinking. Basta had never known his fathers name; he just called him sir. (So sir is what we will call him in this story)

"Here sir." Basta shoved the clay bowl in front of his father and then sat down to eat his own still slightly steaming bowl of porridge. Sir simply grumbled in reply bolted his food and retreated back into his room. Their house was not big, an old farm house supposedly. It had just 3 rooms, the kitchen and two bedrooms, the washroom being outside. Even though it was small it served its purpose, keeping Basta out of the rain… most of the time.

Basta did not stay long after breakfast; instead he chose to walk up to the market in Ombra. The market was always full of life and excitement and he had a few coins saved maybe he would get himself a small present. As he strolled threw the crowds he noticed a fairly large group of people gathered in a circle. Pushing his was through the crowd he came to face a boy about his age. The boy had very dark skin and was performing small trick with a … a bear? Yup a bear, not a cub but no where near full grown the bear had fur just as dark as the boys skin and small eyes darker still.

Basta stood there, gazing at the pair for a good 10 minutes as they danced and toppled over each other for the amusement of the passersby. When most of the crowd had dispersed and the dark boy and bear had finished their act Basta say a second boy walk up. The two conversed quietly laughing occasionally as the bear stared around. Basta couldn't quite here the conversation but he picked up on bits and pieces of it.

"…did you think Dusty? …Good?"

"…Always wonder…you trained…"

"He's a great…"

"Oh so what am I, chopped liver?

"Worse! You're…"

"Hey!" Here the one called Dusty gave the dark boy a playful shove. The two laughed.

"Well Dustfinger, I have to get back to the troop. Come visit if the Barn Owl gives you time between your chores!"

"Sure. If I can't get away before I'll sneak out tonight… I'll see you either way! Goodbye Black!"

How Basta envied them. He had no friends. No one talked to him or joked with him like that. He'd had friends, once, but they had all be frightened away by Sir. What he wouldn't give to be like those two. Maybe they could be friends, as long as he kept them away from his father. I mean, Why not?


	2. Chapter 2

Basta

Chapter 2

Basta wandered closer to Dustfinger as Black and the bear walked away to find a new crowd to perform for else where in the village. He was nervous; did he even remember how to make friends?

Slowly he stepped closer and closer to Dustfinger, who was looking down the street. Basta stopped; he was probably waiting for someone else. He wouldn't want to talk to Basta. Discouraged, Basta was about to step away when the other boy eyes landed on him.

"Oh! Hey." Dustfinger grinned toothily, but Basta could still see the surprise and wariness in his eyes.

"Er…Hi. I'm um… I'm Basta." _Smooth Basta, real smooth muttered that inner voice that often reminded Basta of his father's voice… He didn't like it._

"My name is Dustfinger"

"…Hi. Um… That boy." Basta cast around for something to say. "That boy with the bear… that was uh… pretty cool. Do you know him?"

"Black? Oh yeah! We've been best friends forever! He's real cool. Haven't you ever seen him before?" Basta shook his head, no.

"…I don't get to come here much… chores…"

"Ha! Yeah I know how that is! I live with the Barn Owl; talk about slave driver! But I get to come to the fairs and stuff because I earn money."

"You do?"

"Yeah! I'm the best performer there is!!" Dusty's chest puffed up with self importance.

"Performer…? Like the boy with the bear?" Basta asked still slightly timid.

"Eh? No! Course not. Do you see a bear with me? No, you don't. I'm something way cooler! I'm a Fire-eater!" Basta's eyes widened in aw.

"Oh wow. That must be really fun…and difficult…"

"Yeah it is!" Dusty continued to grin, as his gaze passed over the nearby people. Basta nodded at this, and an awkward silence coated the air surrounding the boys.

Think of something to say, you idiot. The inner voice continued to mutter and Basta's gaze dropped back to his shoes. He was no good and small talk…

"Erm… Are you waiting… for someone?" Basta muttered, killing the silence while staring determinedly at his scuffed-up shoes.

"Heh, yeah! Yeah I am." He seemed excited now, Basta noted. "The prettiest girl around! I'm going to marry her one day! Her name is Roxanne and she's a dancer and she's gorgeous and" Dustfinger ranted on. Basta just smiled and nodded. "We were going to go get some lunch at the fair and Hey! Do you wanna come?!"

Basta jolted, completely caught off guard by the boys sudden offer.

"Me? …Y-yeah okay."

"Great! Roxanne loves to meet new people! Maybe I'll get a kiss for inviting you!" A glazed look slid over Dusty's eyes as he drifted into, what Basta would later learn, was one of many Roxanne related fantasies, and thus Dusty did not see the frown slid into place on Basta's face. The voice in his head spoke up again

A kiss. That's the only reason he invited me. I shouldn't be surprised. He just met me. Why would he want to hang out with me? Why would he want to be my friend? No one would want to be my friend. I'm worthless just like Sir always says… My own mother left me… I'm worthless…

And so he ran. Dustfinger didn't even see him go, tears seeping from his scrunched up eyes and dodging past people stopped outside the stores. He ran and ran until he was nearing the outskirts of the main shopping center of the village were he crashed headlong into something very solid, and fell back, landing on the ground.

"Oh god! Are you alright? Her let me help you up." A very pretty and very feminine voice said as Basta saw a fair skinned delicate looking hand descend in front of his eyes, reaching for him. Her grip was strong and firm, yet somehow gentle. It vaguely reminded him of… who? Who was it? …A beautiful woman from years ago… mother? Yes… his mother… the only one besides this girl who had ever touched him with any real care. He looked up. Dark eyes etched with concern, dark silky hair falling around her face and well past her shoulder as she leaned slightly forward, fair skin, and a pretty pink mouth smiling gently. Basta sucked in his breathe. God… she was… beautiful.

After pulling him to his feet, the girl dropped Basta's hand; He almost fell over again. He galked at her for a good minute or two before he remembered himself, and closed his mouth.

"Thank you." He mumbled barely loud enough for her to hear.

"It's all right. I wasn't watching where I was going either" She said brushing imaginary dirt from the most colorful skirt Basta had ever seen.

"I didn't even know that shade of purple existed…" He hadn't meant to say it out loud. And then she laughed. This time he really did fall over, which in turn made her laugh more. It was the most beautiful sound. Jumping up, Basta blushed deeply, turning even his ears bright red. He mumbled something under his breathe looking determinedly any where but at the girl in front of him. When her laughter quieted, he looked back towards her. She was smiling at him.

"My name is Roxanne. What's yours?"

Author's note: Heh. Yes, One thousand years later there is a part two. My god. Are you surprised? I am. And now we have Roxanne. Le gasp! So read and review please. It's because I got a very nice review recently that I started up a new chapter! Come on people, motivate me! Don't let me be a slacker!!! Seriously.


	3. Chapter 3

Basta

Chapter 3

He wished he could stop stuttering. He felt foolish and… sweaty? Why was he sweating? Basta tried to smile at the girl in front of him, though it turned into to something more like a strained grimace.

"B-Basta" He almost gasped it out, he couldn't seem to breathe properly

"Basta? That… sounds like some sort of spice" Roxanne giggled, and Basta's face turned redder. She was making fun of his name? Could this day get any worse? Roxanne however seemed to notice the sudden droop of his head and the almost angry frown that sneaked its way across Basta's face.

"Oh no" She gasped it out, hands flying to cover her mouth "No no no I didn't mean… Listen, I didn't mean it like that. It's a nice name. I like it! Really." She said this all rather quickly and Basta was hardly listening for that voice that sounded so much like Sir's was filling his still blushing red ears. That voice and the rushing of his own blood was all he could hear. He longed to just run like he had from Dustfinger. Like he often did from Sir when he was very drunk. Like he had when his mother died…

_Flashback_

_Sir had been in a very bad mood that morning. He would probably be slobbering drunk when he returned that night… if he returned. But this didn't trouble the little boy laying on the floor in front of the fire place as the smooth voice of the woman in the armchair behind him spun out a detailed story about a young prince in a far away land. He toyed gently with a knife he'd been given for his last birthday, awkwardly trying to carve the wood block in his hand into something else. All he had to show for his efforts was a set of cut up fingers and a poorly slashed piece of wood. The boy growled and chucked the block into the fire, returning his full attention to the story his mother was telling._

_"And then the young prince, who was quite handsome, ran forward into the magician's lair."_

_"Mom? Why did the prince do that?" The young Basta mumbled as he pulled himself up onto his mothers lap._

_"Do what darling?" She smiled down at him brushing the hair back off his forehead._

_"Why'd he go to fight the magi-acian?" Basta reached up to play with his mother's good luck necklace, fiddling with all the different charms. A horse shoe, a clover. A little silver salt shaker._

_"Magician, honey. He had to fight the magician so he could save the princess." Her voice reminded him of a steam, smooth and flowing with a claming sort of ability._

_"Oh…" Basta nodded, brown mop-like hair flopping around his ears._

_He liked these times best. When it was just the two of them… alone… happy…_

_But Sir always ruined everything. He was loud and smelly and so very drunk as he staggered in. Basta often wondered why his beautiful mother had married… that. His parents always fought. And his mom always came out of the fights the worse off. During the fights, Basta would sit and clutch his little carving knife angrily but knowing better than to interfere. The fist and only time he had tried to stand up for his mother, was the first and only time she had yelled at him. She wouldn't see him hurt she had yelled… and cried._

_Basta knew Sir didn't love or even care for anyone but himself. He knew it with every bone in his body as yet another fight began._

_But this one was different. Louder and louder it grew until with a loud SMACK! It seemed to break._

_Can noise break? Basta remembered thinking before he looked up to see his father's arm out stretched and his mother, his beautiful mother, on the floor with a large ugly red hand print across her cheek._

_And Basta saw red._

_The rest was a blur. Yelling? A knife? Blood? Alcohol? The fireplace? Fire? The house? His mom…trapped? Ashes._

End Flashback

"Look, please! I'm sorry." Roxanne was touching his arm, looking up at him. He hadn't realized he was taller than her. "Let me buy you lunch to make up, okay?" Before he knew what was happening, she had dragged him off to a little stall and bought enough food for the two of them.

"You okay? You must really have a thing for your name, huh?" Roxanne nudged his shoulder effectively bringing him out of his memories… That had been their last night together…

"…Yeah, yeah I'm alright… I uh…"

"Its okay. Everyone has their own little quirks." She smiled again.

That smile. It was all Basta could think about as he lay in better that night. After lunch they had wandered, talking, for quite sometime. Basta smiled as he remembered this, she had completely forgotten that Dustfinger boy. He knew she was the same girl Dustfinger had told him about; because of the small curse that had slipped through her lips when the two had parted was when it began to get dark. She had muttered about missing, forgetting, and lunch as she walked away from Basta, only to turn back and smile. Smile at him, Basta, and ask if he'd like to meet her again sometime. That had shut the voice in his head up! And of course he agreed. They would go for a walk, next week. She needed to gather some berries for dyeing new skirt and he would go with her, if only to see her smile.

Author's note: Ooooo angst… Umm I'm not sure this chapter works… I was rereading some of the previous ones and I realized I'd left some key details out. But hopefully it works and… You didn't see anything (Waves arms) He he… I love the penguins from Madagascar!


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